While many of us in South Carolina may not tend to notice what happens in California (after all it’s on the “other” coast and several hours away by plane), this signals a tough time for us as well. We look to California for trends; and for those of us in access to justice, we often rely on California for these trends. They provide the fertile classroom from which the rest of us glean ideas and then adapt them to fit our own state’s needs.

(Aside to the Other 49 States: We learn from you as well and occasionally you learn from us, but c’mon, truthfully, don’t many of us look to California for ideas? Really?)

California has been a national leader in working with self-represented litigants (SRLs); creating a vast library of plain language forms, working on unbundled legal representation, and developing information in multiple languages. Additionally JusticeCorps has taken off in California, and has been successfully providing information to SRLs in five counties for some time.

California has offered bilingual court service for many years; and information in many languages for a while as well.

And, according to the press release, the California Courts are the largest court system in the nation.

So how does this impact ACCESS TO JUSTICE?

By closing the courts one day per month, the third branch of government will close itself to its constituents. According to the LA Times, Chief Justice Ronald M. George noted that “the closures would result in delays in trials and more crowding in jails. Inmates who might have been released on the third Wednesday of the month will have to wait until the next day.” The hope is that the one-day closing will prevent additional closings.

California Courts – the nation’s courts are watching. We wish you the best!

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One thought on “Economy Impacts California Access to Justice”

As a CA resident and former court manager in the state, I believe this is the wrong thing to do. Without discounting the legitimate need to cut costs in recognition of the state budget crisis, the courts could have opted to stagger furlough days off without shuttering the courthouse.

Court performance is measured in four key areas, one of which is access to justice. I posted my views on this subject at: